Neowise Biotechnology, a pioneering company focused on TCR-T cell therapies for solid tumors, has announced a strategic non-exclusive licensing agreement with BeOne Medicines Ltd. to advance the development of next-generation, iPSC-based off-the-shelf cell therapies. The partnership grants BeOne rights to one of Neowise's proprietary antigen-specific TCR molecules, marking a significant step toward more accessible cancer treatments.
Financial Terms and Commercial Rights
Under the licensing agreement, Neowise will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible for future milestone payments based on the achievement of certain development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, in addition to royalties. BeOne will have the right to develop and commercialize its next-generation cell therapy products using the licensed TCR technology.
Strategic Vision for Universal Cancer Treatment
"We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with BeOne, which will expand the application of our TCR molecules into new territories and support the research and clinical development of BeOne's next-generation cell therapy products," said Songming Peng, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Neowise. "With our expertise in antigen-specific TCR discovery, we believe in the great commercial value and broad clinical potential of our proprietary antigen-TCR library, CAST®."
Alex Huang, Ph.D., Vice President and Head of Cell Therapy at BeOne, emphasized the transformative potential of the collaboration: "We are building an allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapy platform that uses cutting-edge genetic engineering to achieve broad applicability across diverse patient populations - bringing us closer to more universal, accessible cancer treatments."
Neowise's TCR Discovery Platform
Neowise has established itself as an innovative biotechnology company through its high-throughput and ultra-sensitive platform for discovering natural TCRs that specifically recognize tumor antigens. The company's approach iteratively integrates computational analyses with experimental validation to efficiently screen for high-affinity tumor antigen-specific natural TCRs. This methodology has enabled the establishment of CAST®, described as a globally leading experimentally validated tumor antigen-natural TCR pairing library.
Several of Neowise's pipelines have advanced into clinical trials, where encouraging efficacy and favorable safety profiles have been observed across multiple solid tumor indications, according to the company.
BeOne's Global Oncology Platform
BeOne Medicines operates as a global oncology company domiciled in Switzerland, focusing on discovering and developing innovative treatments that are more affordable and accessible to cancer patients worldwide. The company maintains a portfolio spanning hematology and solid tumors and is expediting development of its diverse pipeline through internal capabilities and strategic collaborations.
With a growing global team of more than 11,000 colleagues spanning six continents, BeOne is committed to radically improving access to medicines for patients who need them. The partnership with Neowise represents part of BeOne's strategy to forge strategic, global partnerships to accelerate the development of next-generation cell therapies.
Advancing Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy Development
The collaboration combines Neowise's expertise in antigen-specific TCR discovery with BeOne's focus on iPSC-derived cell therapies in oncology. This partnership aims to harness the transformative potential of iPSC-based approaches to create allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapy platforms that could expand treatment options for patients worldwide.
The agreement represents a significant step forward in delivering next-generation cell therapies that could expand and elevate treatment options for cancer patients globally, according to both companies.
